Africa’s first Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, renowned novelist, Professor Chinua Achebe and nineteen other distinguished Nigerians have been inducted into the Nigerian hall of fame by the Academy of Letters and Science at the occasion of the 2010 Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas, NLNG, award nite for literature and science.

Nigeria’s long history with conflict and bloodshed begins not long after its independence from British Colonial rule in 1960. Six years later, Army officers executed the then Prime Minister and two of his cabinet colleagues in the of the country’s first of many coup d’etats. Political upheaval stoked social fires as religious, ethnic and regional disparities billowed over to create a climate of official persecution and brutal governance.

FORMER Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida was, on Sunday, prevented by the police from making his public declaration.

This was after Welson Ebikewenimo settled for silver in the 55kg category freestyle, while Dick Adibo won bronze in the 84kg category. Those were the last wrestling medals delivered by the team.

The Chairman, Bi-Courtney PLC, Mr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), weekend, said the Federal Government was working out modalities towards ensuring the provision of a special funding for tertiary institutions

Central Bank Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said in Washington, weekend, that the Central Bank would peg spending from foreign exchange reserves to defend the naira, but the present level of the naira did not necessarily need to be maintained “at all costs”. Nigeria’s external reserves which stood at $62 billion in 2007 has dipped to $34 billion as at September 2010. Sanusi also stated that the CBN would henceforth make sure that the Federal Government does not have access to “easy money” to continue its deficit spending habits.

AHEAD of next year’s election in Ondo State, a chieftain of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, weekend, promised to pay the nomination fees of the party’s candidates from councillorship to House of Representatives.

The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) will on Wednesday, October 13, officially launch the Cowbell iTry Lagos Rugby Coaching scheme for secondary schools.

As Team Nigeria athletes continue their glowing performances in the on going Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, which has left a lot of bookmakers shocked, the athletes have called on the man they consider as their number one supporter, the Minister of Sports and Chairman National Sports Commission (NSC) Alhaji Ibrahim Isa Bio to return to Delhi, India

Nigeria’s medal haul increased at the New Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, after Ajoke Odumosu easily won the women 400m hurdles here.

OFFICIALS of Team Nigeria to the on-going Commonwealth Games in India have vehemently denied a newspaper report which alleged that a Nigerian Doctor got treated for an ailment – rheumatoid arthritis.

THE Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has concluded arrangements to formalize the sale of works of Nigeria actors, actresses and musicians in the international market.

THE President, Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ABUCCIMA), Mr. Dele Oye, said that the decision of Central Bank of Nigerian, CBN, to withdraw licenses from 244 micro-finance banks will have negative effect on the economy.

BANKERS in the country under the aegis of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, ASSBIFI, have warned that the nation’s economy was grinding to a halt as a result of lack of credit facility and high interest rate.

The Group Managing Director/CEO of Skye Bank, Mr Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti, has urged lawmakers to restrict the requirement of governor’s consent on land transaction as it is unnecessary for mortgages, subleases and other land transfers.